7 places to hang out online on Valentine’s Day
Valentine's Day is a weird holiday for most people. For those in a relationship, there's always some anxiety over finding the perfect gift. Will a grand display of affection be grand enough for your partner? Or will it embarrass them? Perhaps you forgot they hate strawberries and got them a box of them covered in chocolate. (Oops.)
If you're single, the day can be a bitter reminder of lost love (see tips for that here) or a relief-filled reminder that you're totally fine flying solo.
However you feel about the day, finding comfort online can heal the heart. From connecting with strangers to crying over a movie meet-cute, we've put together a list of seven things you can do online on V-Day.
1. Visit Google's virtual Museum of Love
Google's Museum of Love is chock full of virtual activities that combine history and art with learning, relaxation, and inspiration. View love-related artifacts from the world's most renowned museums, read the love letters throughout the centuries (including those of Beethoven), or learn the history of Valentine's Day cards. Take quizzes about art history or relax while completing a digital take on paint-by-numbers. It's all there waiting for you in Google's Museum of Love.
2. Game with strangers
Interested in interaction? Try a site like Tabletopia or Board Game Arena, where you can play board games with strangers from around the world.
If taking turns and earning points aren't your thing, you can explore virtual worlds in Roblox, where gaming can be as chill as building your Barbie DreamHouse or designing the cutest Hello Kitty cafe.
3. Netflix and chill (with yourself)
Logging in to Netflix can feel like opening Pandora's box. There are simply too many choices, especially if you've got the V-Day blues. Fear not, Netflix's list of 17 movies perfect for Valentine's Day has you covered. From musical titles (Mamma Mia, Tick, Tick... Boom) to horror and everything in between, this list has just about every type of Valentine's Day reveler covered.
4. Get the warm fuzzies from the New York Times' Modern Love archive
Love hurts! And love heals. The New York Times' Modern Love column has explored the pain, passion, and purpose of loving for 20 years. Their archive of hundreds of reader-submitted stories is available online, though often behind a paywall. If you prefer to listen to the stories of heartbreak and happiness instead, a selection of them are available as episodes on the free Modern Love podcast.
5. Ride the highs and lows of Reddit
Misery loves company, and the best place to find it is on Reddit. For those eager to hate on love, there's r/ForeverAlone. But if you're looking for more uplifting posts, try r/LoveStories or r/Love, where a stranger's story of romance or redemption may move you to tears.
6. Work in a virtual cafe
Want to avoid lovebirds on the streets? Visit a cafe from the comfort of your own home with sites that simulate the sounds of a bustling coffee shop. On I Miss My Cafe, you can control the volume of eight sounds, including the voices of fellow customers, the clinking of ceramic cups, the drumming of rain, and the crackling of a fireplace. Or get more specific with Coffitivity, which offers the sounds of a campus cafe or lunchtime rush.
Miss the office instead? Then the sounds of I Miss the Office are for you. And when work is over, visit I Miss My Bar to hang around the locals.
7. Talk to someone anonymously about how you feel, 24/7
Feelings can sneak up on you, so even if you think you're cool with Valentine's Day, it's nice to know there is someone around you can talk to if things don't go as planned.
7Cups offers anonymous and completely free virtual chat rooms where you can find support from trained volunteers at any hour of the day. As their website notes, "Being heard is an important part of being human... We might be strangers on the surface, but underneath we're just the friends you haven't met yet."
Visit 7cups.com to share your feelings or listen to others for as long or as little as you need.